Report says Israeli PM pushing Trump to attack Iran

On the far-left and far-right Israel is often seen as the shadowy manipulator of U.S. Iran policy, sasy the report

In the past two weeks a massive U.S. military build-up has occurred in the Persian Gulf

JERUSASLEM - Behind the continual hostility towards Iran by the United States, and the recent flare-up in tensions is lsrael, according to a number of analysts and political watchers in the United States and in Israel.

According to a report in The Jerusalem Post on Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is driving Trump towards a possible military confrontation with the Islamic Republic.

On Thursday, according to the Post, former advisor to the Obama administration, Ben Rhodes, wrote that "Bibi" was one of those "pushing to confront Iran."

Last week US Democratic Presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard blamed "Saudi Arabia, Netanyahu [and] al-Qaeda" for pushing for war with Iran.

Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, said The Jerusalem Post, has sought to fuel this blame game by claiming the U.S. administration is taken over by "Naeanyahu firsters."

The post article reminded readers the articles on the Israel Lobby by John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt, which later became a book, argued that Israel and pro-Israel groups worked to shape the U.S. administration's policy towards Iran as part of a "grand scheme for reordering the Middle East."

On the far-left and far-right Israel is often seen as the shadowy manipulator of U.S. Iran policy. "Who wants this war with Iran," Patrick Buchanan's official website asked on May Friday. "Answer: Pompeo and Bolton, Bibi Netanyahu, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman," he wrote. This talking point, linking National Security Advisor John Bolton, the Saudis and "Bibi" is remarkably consistent on both the left and right, said The Jerusalem Post article. Rhodes tweeted "with Bolton, MBS [Mohammed Bin Salman] and Bibi pushing to confront Iran," for instance.

At the same time the anti-semitic far-right has also blamed Israel for Trump's policies. One website that openly praises Hitler claimed that "Bibi satanyahoo" is pushing for a war with Iran. "When did the U.S. elect Bibi Netanyahu President? John Bolton, the Saudis and hawkish forces pushing White House toward war," tweets another person, partially quoting the headline of an article at the CBC, said the Postv report.

On the far-left the website Mondoweiss also has a headline that claims "Israel wants the Trump administration to attack Iran, but U.S. mainstream media ignores Netanyahu's instigating."

Prime Minister Netanyahu's influence with President Trump is well known.

Aside from relocating the U.S.embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and declaring Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, the president has suspended aid to Palestinian groups, and just two days prior to the Israeli elections recognised the Golan Heights as being Israeli territory.

More recently the Iranian Revolutionary Guards were designated as a terrorist group, while in the past two weeks a massive U.S. military build-up has come together in the Persian Gulf, which the U.S. says is because of Iranian intimidation and threats, which have remained largely unexplained.